If such thoughts have ever crossed your mind, you are not alone. A survey released this week shows, that by far, talkative co-workers cause the biggest distractions and disruptions at work. The unnecessary chatter came in first at 45 percent. Receiving too many emails came in a distant second at 18 percent. Odors trailed at 9 percent. The survey was done by Lee Hecht Harrison, a global talent mobility company focused on human resource services, including outplacement and recruitment. Based in New Jersey, the company has an office in Independence and other Ohio locations.

"We are social creatures and our success in the workplace depends on our ability to communicate," said Jim Greenway, the company's executive vice president for marketing and sales effectiveness, in a news release. "Serendipitous conversations in the hallway or brief stops by a co-worker's office or cubicle for some chit-chat can yield tremendous benefits in terms of collaboration, generating new ideas, creating trust and increasing productivity. However, too much talk can also be a distraction, as our survey found."

Greenway said co-workers often don't know they are serving as a distraction or even being disruptive. He said they often "lack self-awareness." So how do you know you are being a nuisance? Greenway says you must become skilled at picking up on cues.

"Is the person you're speaking with tapping their fingers impatiently?" he said in the release. "Glancing at their watch? Looking distressed? If so, adjust your behavior and wrap up your conversation immediately.

If you consistently find that bolting for an escape route is the only way to end conversation with a co-worker, who remains clueless about being long-winded, Greenway offers another strategy.

"The most effective way to deal with an overly talkative co-worker is to be straightforward, honest and always kind," he said in an email. "It's not difficult to say, with a smile, 'I have to excuse myself. I need to attend to my work now.' No need to apologize, no need to be defensive."

Chatty co-workers have always existed, but perhaps they stand out now because the nature of many workplaces has changed. Since many haven't returned to pre-recession staffing levels, the disruptions and distractions from talkative co-workers can prove more than irksome to those with higher workloads.

Also, with technology more prevalent in the workplace, many employees have come to prefer electronic interactions to face-to-face communication, Greenway said. He said emails ranking as the second highest distraction or disruption is no indication people are craving to shoot the breeze with co-workers. These employees just want to stem the flow of email into their inboxes. He said supporting his point was that technology ranked low as being a problem -- seventh out of eight -- in the survey.

"I believe what we see happening is that with the increasing reliance on technology to communicate, people are developing a stronger preference to communicate via text, IM and social media channels," Greenway wrote in an email. "It's possible they are becoming less interested in face-to-face encounters -- thus, more likely to report they are annoyed by it.

"Just a little bit of chit-chat may be considered incredibly disruptive by someone who would prefer to communicate via text," he wrote.

Though odors ranked a far distant third in the survey, that didn't mean they weren't a serious concern, Greenway said.

"Whether offensive smells are caused by someone who has a poor hygiene, wears too much cologne or brings in odiferous lunches, foul odors in the workplace can become a huge distraction," he wrote in an email. "It's an awkward and embarrassing discussion that most people want to avoid. "

Greenway said this isn't a matter co-workers should attempt to address on their own.

"The best approach -- to ensure fair and respectful treatment -- is to ask your HR representative to assist," he wrote. "He or she should be well-trained to handle this issue."

"Conversations about odors must be handled with sensitivity and diplomacy," Greenway wrote. "You would want to determine if there is an underlying medical condition. Are there cultural differences that need to be taken into account? Is the person reporting it overly-sensitive to smells? This is a conversation best handled by a skilled HR professional."

Telephone calls ranked fourth at 8 percent, followed by ambient noise at 6 percent. Office design was sixth at 5 percent, followed by technology at 4 percent. "Nothing at all" came in last at 5 percent.

Lee Hecht Harrison did the online poll of 848 workers in April. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.37 percent.

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